The Australian journal of rural health
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Aust J Rural Health · Feb 1999
Comparative StudyHospital admission and mortality differentials of asthma between urban and rural populations in New South Wales.
It remains unclear whether there are any differentials in hospital admission and mortality rates of asthma between urban and rural populations. An observational study was conducted, based on patient hospital records, to examine the distribution of asthma admissions and mortality in New South Wales. Data on all reported cases of asthma were obtained from New South Wales hospitals between 1989 and 1994. ⋯ The mortality rates of asthma ranged from 4.8 per 100,000 in 1983 to 8.0 per 100,000 in 1985 for rural population, and from 3.8 per 100,000 in 1983 to 6.0 per 100,000 in 1989 for urban population. The mortality rates of asthma were 3.62-42.85% higher for rural residents than urban dwellers. These results indicate that the non-age-adjusted hospital admission and mortality rates of asthma were considerably higher in rural populations than in urban populations in New South Wales.
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Aust J Rural Health · Nov 1998
ReviewTechnology in education: what is appropriate for rural and remote allied health professionals?
Recent technological advances provide exciting opportunities for the delivery of education to rural and remote allied health professionals. Distance education modes can overcome barriers of distance and cost. ⋯ Combinations of any of these technologies and traditional forms of educational delivery are possible. The important objective is to create a learning environment that maximises interactivity and develops information literacy.
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Aust J Rural Health · Feb 1998
Methodological issues in medical workforce analysis: implications for regional Australia.
Medical workforce data have a profound impact on health policy formulation, but derived doctor population ratios (DPR) are often more relevant to plotting national trends than providing a detailed regional or local workforce perspective. Regional workforce data may be more useful if national approaches are augmented by local information. In developing a detailed workforce analysis for one region of Australia, the authors encountered several challenging methodological issues, including the accuracy of medical workforce databases, clarity of definition of community boundaries, interpretation of workforce definitions and the difficulty accounting for local community needs. This paper discusses the implications for regional workforce research.
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Aust J Rural Health · Feb 1998
Remote area health service delivery in central Australia: primary health care and participatory management.
This paper provides a description of initiatives and changes made in remote primary healthcare service delivery in Central Australia. These changes included the introduction of an orientation and Aboriginal cultural awareness program, revising the recruitment process to include communities in staff selection, developing policies and protocols to support practice, and increasing support for remote area staff through managers being out and about in remote areas. ⋯ Further change and development is necessary. A number of new initiatives are described, including a Menzies School of Health Research project that examines structural issues, which will provide direction for the future by providing better support for remote area staff and facilitating greater community participation.
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Aust J Rural Health · Aug 1997
Social and cultural patterns of suicide in young people in rural Australia.
The purpose of this paper is to describe patterns of suicide in young people in rural communities. Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention and Australian Bureau of Statistics data are used to discuss regional and gender differences in suicide rates, with particular attention to completed suicides in young people. The regional distribution completed suicide in young people and gender differences in suicide rates are identified. ⋯ The paper, as a whole, draws attention to the complex factors that influence deaths by suicide in young people. The factors implicated are associated mainly with suicide in young males, but much of the literature speculates on rather than demonstrates their influence. As the competing explanations have not been systematically evaluated, further research is required to establish the causal processes involved and to provide a firmer foundation for suicide prevention programs and services for those who live in suicide's aftermath.